CSOs, youth group battle truck drivers

The Niger chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and some Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s), on Sunday, gave the Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), tanker and trailer drivers’ associations 48 hours to vacate roads in the state or face massive civil action.

Mr Bello Sheriff, Chairman, NYCN in the state, handed down the ultimatum on Sunday, in Minna, when he led the CSO’s at a press conference.

“The once acclaimed most peaceful and hospitable state in Nigeria has been thrown into a state of chaos and mundane situations by the activities of NARTO, PTDAN and Trailer Drivers Association with the blockade of the Suleja-Lambata-Bida roads for four days now.

”Thereby, causing untold hardship, pain, uncertainty and the perilous atmosphere for the peace-loving citizens of Niger state and other road users is completely unacceptable.

“The implications of this heinous act by these drivers, is that they have constituted themselves not only as a nuisance, but as a government within government, blocking and stampeding major highways at the slightest provocation.

As a result, they have caused ”untold hardships in holding travellers to ransom, hence crippling and halting the day-to-day activities of other road users.

“This needs to be checked by authorities concerned or we will be forced to take laws into our own hands.

“Needless to say that we cannot continue to fold our hands and allow lawlessness take root by these senseless drivers who are, on daily basis, destroying our roads and livelihoods.

“We hereby issue a 48-hour ultimatum to NARTO and Associations of Tanker and Trailer Drivers to direct the drivers of all the heavy-duty vehicles to vacate the roads for the free movement of other road users.

“It is on the foregoing that we, the coalition of youths and civil society organizations in Niger state, wish to state without equivocation our stand,” he said.

Sheriff urged NARTO and the drivers’ associations to tender an unreserved apology to the people of the state and other road users for their actions, saying that they should be civil in addressing their grievances, rather than infringing on the rights of others.